Process for dehydrating petroleum emuisions



' F. W. HARRIS.

PROCESS FOR DEHYDRATING PETROLEUM EMULSIONS.

APPLICATION FILED AUGQI, I919- RENEWED, MAY 31, 1921- Patented -J an.31, 1922.

2/ Fig.1.

M f ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FORD W. HARRIS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO PETROLEUMRECTIFYING COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OFCALIFORNIA.

PROCESS FOR DEHYDRATING PETROLEUM EMULSIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 31, 1922.

Original application filed May 28, 1917, Serial No. 171,580. Divided andthis application filed August 1, 1919, Serial No. 314,781. Renewed May31, 1921. Serial No. 473,772.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, F 0RD W. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing in Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Processes forDehydrating Petroleum Emulsions, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the art of dehydrating petroleum oils by the useof an electric current. In this art the emulsion to'be treated isbrought between electrodes having an electric potential impressedthereon, so that an electric current is caused to flow through the bodyof the emulsion. This current consolidates or agglomerates the finewater particles into larger globules which will readily settle out ifthe mixture of oil and water is allowed to stand.

Previous inventors have proposed to pass the fluid to be treated betweena plurality of electrodes, between each pair of which an electriccurrent is caused to pass so that the fluid in passing through thesomewhat extended channels is re eatedly brought into successiveelectric fields and is repeatedly subjected to the action of successivecurrents. Such apparatus is somewhat expensive to construct anddifiicult to operate. 7

In my invention a single containing vessel is used, and a singleelectric field is employed, the body of the fluid in the containingvessel being repeatedly circulated through the single field so that itis repeatedly subjected to the action of the single field. By this meansI obtain a large capacity at a small initial-expense.

In the previous art, the emulsion in its passage through the prescribedchannelsis adually broken so that it enters the treater aving aconsiderable initial percentage of emulsion, and as it passes throughthe various conduits of the treater this emulsion is gradually brokendown. In my invention a closed ring or path is formed in a considerablevolume of fluid carried in the containing vessel, this ring havinga verysmall proportion of emulsion thereln. The fluid in this ring iscontinuously passing through the electric field and is continuouslyhaving its emulsion broken, is continuously dropping water, and iscontinuously having cleaned oil taken off and fresh raw fluid addedthereto.

In my invention the entire dehydration takes place in a body of fluidhaving a very small proportion of emulsion. For example, if ii: isdesired to break the emulsion to such an extent that only one per centof emulsion is present in the final product, it is desirable to maintainthe closed rin in such a conditron that the average emu sion in theentire ring does not exceed two per cent. This allows high potentialsand low currents to be used.

In this application I claim the process described in my application171,580 filed May 28, 1917, of which this is a division.

In the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 Fig. 1 viewed in the direction of thearrows.

Flg. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the process.

In the form of the invention illustrated in these drawings, shell 11 isprovided having a water outlet pipe 12 controlled by a valve 13connected into its lower end. A diversion shell 14 is placed inside theshell 11 extending from the extreme top thereof to a point plate 16 issupported on angle irons 18, and

an opening 19 1s left between the outer edge of the plate 16 and theinner surface of the shell 14.-

Centrally secured inside the outer electrode 17 is an inner electrode20, this electrode being supported in a casting 21 supported byinsulators 22 on the top of the shell 11. A cleaned oil outlet pipe 23connects into the top of the shell 11. An emulsion inlet pipe 24'connects with the side of the shell 11, being provided with an upwardextending nipple 25 which extends inside the lower end of the outerelectrode 17. An air pressure pipe 26 controlled by a valve 27 extendsthrough the side ofthe shell 11 and up through the nipple 25 into theinterior of the outer electrode 17.

The method of operation of the invention is as follows:

The shell 11 being filled with emulsion through the ipe 24, air isadmitted to the interior of t e outer electrode 17 through the pipe 26.By mixing this air with the oil and emulsion inside the outer electrode17, an upward flow is caused in the direction of the arrows, the liquidrising through the outer electrode 17 and, flowing downwardly throughthe opening 19 into the space between the shell 14 and the outerelectrode 17. The constant upward flow of the oil inside the outerelectrode 17 causes the emulsion to rapidly circulate in the directionof the arrows shown in Fig. 1. During this circulation, an electromotiveforce is impressed'between the inner electrode 20 and the outerelectrode 17, this being conveniently accomplished by the transformer100 shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1. A current therefore flows betweenthe electrode 17 and the electrode 20, and considerable of the liquidthrough which the current passes is vaporized or expanded, so that thetendency of the liquid to rise through the outer electrode 17 is furtherincreased thereby.

After the apparatus is operating it is often possible to close the valve27 and depend wholly on the action of the current to cause acirculation. During this circulation, emulsion is preferably introducedat a slow rate through the pipe 24, and cleaned oil is preferablyWithdrawn continuously through the pipe 23. The separated water will ina large measure settle in the bottom of the shell 11 and may be drawnoff through the pipe 12 I claim as my invention;

1. A. process of dehydrating emulsions which consists in injecting theemulsion into a body of relatively dry emulsion; circulating said dryemulsion over aclosed path between charged electrodes; withdrawing theprecipitated water from the bottom of said body; and withdrawing thedesired product from the top of said body.

2. That step in the art of dehydrating petroleum emulsions whichcomprises setting up a closed ring or path around which. a relativelydry emulsion is circulated; subjecting the dry emulsion in said path tothe action of an electric potential; injecting the oil to be dehydratedinto said path; withdrawing precipitated water from said path; andwithdrawing the desired product from said path.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 21 day of July, 1919.

" FORD W. HARRIS.

